Makers are Magic Episode 4 with Mom and Maker Melanie Wylie

On this episode of Makers are Magic, I talk with my good friend and Samba teacher! Melanie Wylie.

She’s had experience being an apparel designer, graphic designer, painter, and more. We talk about creating Samba costumes, making things with kids and finding time to create with them around, the importance of experimenting, and much more!

Listen here or search it up on itunes: Makers are Magic!

Things mentioned in the podcast:

Samba costumes: You HAVE to make your own!
Ostrich feathers cost 6 dollars each!
Custom made bikinis are the best for dancing.
Some examples:

There she is in white with some dancing friends

Lookin' good in green :) — Lookin’ good in green 🙂

Set clear rules about art supplies,
set a certain age about who can use what.
“My scissors are a big deal,”
talking about SPECIFIC fabric and paper scissors.

Design school projects:
designing a whole line of clothes, including the marketing campaign.

“My creative time looks different these days. It’s not, here’s my set aside time when the kids are somewhere else, it’s here I am at my daughter’s rehearsal and I’m painting sets.”

#tinkersketch

“I loved drawing when I was a kid. I have a very traditional Chinese father. He said, “Art is a great pastime, but it’s not a job,” so I hid what I did for a long time. I would draw in my room and if my parents came in, I would put a math book over it.”

Creating with kids tips:
Have lots of art supplies out.
Have an art area.
Do BIG projects…a large scale. It’s amazing to them because they’re so small!
Large canvas paintings!
Ex: Leaf print forest on a HUGE piece of paper, painted green.
Ongoing mural of an ocean, animals added once they learned about them.

Collaborative projects: Melanie draws pictures of naughty things their cat does, and her daughter writes down the captions.

Collaborative painting: Do something and then trade!

When they’re little, they want your help the entire time.
DON’T micromanage!

Me: Have your kids ACT OUT a story, videotape it, then watch it bit by bit and have the kids TELL you in their words what is happening, you type it out, print it out, and BAM! A story!

Tip: Have fun!
Experiment with different mediums,
with things you’ve never used before.

We love our light boxes/pads!

THE BIG GOAL of 2015: Putting together a portfolio of children’s illustration work.

Suzanne Kaufman and her awesome illustrations!

Me:
“Experiment.
Learn.
Try your best.
And little gems will come out of your work.”

Me: “I’m here to tell you people, you don’t even need to be flowy and graceful!”

Signature questions:
First thing made: playdoh! And she and her Mom STILL make it, and they have the SAME recipe and “playdoh” pot!
Magic wand for process or skill: EXPRESSIONS on characters. The ability to work with it a lot but still keep the drawing looking loose.
Karaoke song: Trouble Sleeping
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KmcxvDCo_PA

Boa Sorte

Mine:
The Way you Do the Things you do

Do you love me?

Happy

Proud Mary

Thrift Shop
I’m not gonna put a link here cuz it’s got some language, but search if it you want to check it out!